Variable speed transmission



Sept, 12, 1939. M. P. WHITNEY ET AL V VARIABLE SPEED TRANSMISSION Filed Jan. 3, 1958 2 Sheets Sheet 2 5 drying machines.

- 5 the transmission are which:

Patented Sept. 12, 1939 I 3 OFFICE.

v vein-ABLE SPEED TRANSMISSION Maurice P. Whitney and Youston Sekella, Elmira,

N. Y., assignors,

dix Aviation Corporation, corporation of Delaware Application January 3,

11 Claims.

\ The present invention relates to variable speed transmissions and more particularly I mission having two speed ratios adaptable for use in connectionwwith domestic washing and It is an object of the present invention to provide anovel variable, speed gearing for washing machines and the like which is efl'icient, reliable and quiet in operation while being simpleand economical in construction and adapted for easy and positive control.

It is another object to provide such a device which is so constructed and arranged that the thrusts set up between the various elements of prevented from adverse y affecting the control of the device.

Further objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description taken in connection -with Fig. '1 is a longitudinal substantially mid-sectional view of a preferred embodiment of themvention;

Fig. 21s a sectional detail of a portion of the Y gearing including the high speed clutch of a modified form of the invention; and v Fig. 3 is a detail in perspective of certain of the parts illustrated in Fig. 2, shown in' disassembled relation.

. 0 In Fig. 1 of the drawings there is illustrated at l a casing which may, as indicated, be an extension of the casing of a driving motor indicated fragshaft 3 is journalled in a mentarily at 2 A drive bearing 4 in the motor casing and is provided v5 with a portion 5 ofnon-circular contour extending into the casing I. A. low speed pinion member 6 is slidably journalled at 1 in the cover 3' of casing 'i' inalignment with the drive shaft 3, and is-pr ovided with a non-cylindrical portion 3 extending adjacent the end of shaft 3. A sleeve I l is slidably but non-.rotatably mounted on the non-cylindrical extensions 5 and 3 and serves to slidably couple the pinion member 6 to the driving shaft. Thecoupling sleeve H is provided atone end with longitudinal external splines I2, and a pack of friction clutch plates is mounted thereon including internally splined clutch plates I3 engaging said splines for rotation'therewith. Ex-

I 50 ternaily splined clutch plates l4 are interleaved between the clutch plates I3 and are non-rotatabiy. connected to a barrel l5 which is fixed in any "*"suitable way to a high speed-gear IS. A thrust bushing. I! is slidably journalled on the coupling -65 sleeve H andserves' as a journal for the high to a transthe accompanying drawings inby mesne assignments, to Ben- 1938. Serial No. 183,098 (01. 74-309) is formed at the base of the extension 9 thereof."

The opposite end of the thrust bushing i1 is counterbored as indicated at 2| so as to extend over the splines l2 on the coupling sleeve ii and bears against apressure disc 22 splined on the coupling sleeve adjacent the v clutch pack. A thrust plate 23 is mounted onthe'driving shaft 3 in position to close the open end of the barrel l5, andextends within the barrel suiiiciently to bear against the clutch pack i3; I 4. An anti-friction thrust bearing 24 is preferably provided for the thrust plate. The clutch discs are retained in the barrel by suitable means such as a split ring 25. Means are provided for normally relieving the pressure on the clutch pack in the form of a spring 26 located in the counterbore 2 I, and bearing' against the endsj of the'splines I2 so as 'to urge the thrust bushing H away from the clutch pack.

Means are provided for closing the high speed clutch l3, l4 in the form of an actuating element 21 which may be the armature of a solenoid not further illustrated, and which isconnec-ted .by a yieldingly extensible link 28 to a lever 29 fulcrumed in any suitable way on the casing I and provided with a pin 3| bearing on a cylindrical thrust block 32 slidably mounted in an extended portion of the bearing I i'or' the pinion member 6. An anti-=i'rlction ball 33 is preferably interin position-to mesh with the driving gear It in any suitable manner as indicated at 38, and is restrained from longitudinal-movement thereon by means of thrust rings 39 and 4| seated in ooves in the driven shaft. A thrust'disc 42 is preferably interposed between the gear 31 and the end of the bearing 35.

A low speed gear 43 is journalled on the driven shaft in position to mesh with the pinion member 6,'its position on the shaft being defined by'suitable means such as a thrust ring 44.

An overrunning clutch connection is provided for driven shaft 34 from. gear 43 comprising a 28 is desirable more particularlv in connectiongage a corresponding surface 49 on the gear 43 and to be forced into engagement therewith by the threaded connection with sleeve 46. Means for initiating the frictional engagement of the clutch member and gear 43 is provided in the form of an elastic ring member 5| bearing frictionally on the periphery of the clutch member 45 and nonrotatably connected to the gear 43 as by means of a pin 52 engaging a terminal loop 53 of said r ng.

In the operation of the device, and starting with the high speed clutch in relaxed condition, rota-f tion of the driving shaft 3 by the motor is transmitted through the coupling sleeve I l to the pinion member 6 which in turn rotates the low speed gear 43 whereby the friction ring 5| causes rotation of the clutch member 45 in a direction to thread it along the sleeve 46 into engagement with the gear 43 and clamp it to the driven shaft 34 which is thus rotated at low speed. 7

When it is desired to operate in high gear, it is merely necessary to apply tension to the control element 21 either manually or by means of a solenoid or other actuating device. The pin 3| in lever 23 is thuscaused to apply pressure to the "thrust block 32, which pressure is transmitted through the ball 33, pinion member 6, flirust washer l8 and thrust bushing I! to the pressure disc 22 which compresses the clutch discs l3, l4 against the thrust plate 23. Rotation is then transmitted from the coupling sleeve ll through the high speed clutch l3, 94 to the barrel l5 and high speed gear it which drives the high speed driven gear 31 and thus rotates the driven shaft 34 at high speed. "This high speed rotation of the driven shaft causes the sleeve 46 to overrun the clutch member 45 whereby the clutch mem-' ber backs away from and releases the gear i3.v

When the tension member 21 is released, the high speed clutch l3, i4 is opened by the spring 26'so that the high speed connection is broken, whereupon the overruning clutch member 45 is caused to pick up and rotate the driven shaft 34 at low speed as previously described.

The low speed pinion member. 6 is preferably provided with helical teeth as illustrated, the inclination of the teeth being such that when the driving shaft 3 is rotated in the direction of the arrow. a, the *endwise thrust on the pinion member is in a direction to release the high speed clutch. v

The high speed gears l6, 3! are'also preferably provided with helical teeth. the inclination thereof being such that when the load is being transmitted therethrough, the driving gear I6 is ur ed to the left as illustrated in Fig. l. The thrust plate 23 is provided w th a per pheral flan e 54 overlying the end of the barrel l5 and arranged to transmit the thrust therefrom to the thrust bearing 24. The high speed clutch l3. i4 is thus completely unaffected by the longitudinal thrust of the gear I6.

It will be understood that the extensible link with solenoid operation of the device in that it permits seating of the armature of the solenoid irrespective of minor differences in dimensions and adjustment of the parts. therebv reduc n the liability of hum or chatter in the solenoid when the alternating current type is used. and also conducing to more uniform application of pressure to the high speed clutch.

Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate an embodiment of the inventionin which the high speed clutch operating structure is somewhat simplified by the omission of the thrust bushing H, the function thereof being performed by the sleeve-which couples the driving shaft 3 to the low speed pinion member 3.

As here shown, the coupling sleeve 3| corresponding to the sleeve II is provided with external splines 62 for engagement with the high speed clutch plates 63 in the same manner as the analogous parts in the first embodiment of the invention. Splines 62, however, are provided with terminal thrust shoulders 64, and pressure disc 85 is mounted on the ends of the splines 32 in engagement with shoulders 64 whereby longitudinal movement of sleeve 6| to the left causes pressure disc 65 to compress the clutch discs.

In this embodiment of the invention, the sleeve Bl extends into engagement with a thrust washer 68 seated against the shoulder IQ of the low speed pinion member 6 whereby longitudinal motion of the low speed pinion member causes the actuation of the sleeve 6| to control the high speed clutch.

Although but two embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail, it will be understood that other embodiments are possible and various changes may be made in the structure and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. In a variable speed transmission, a power shaft, a low speed driving pinion, a coupling sleeve slidably but non-rotatably connecting the pinion to the power shaft, a high speed drive gear rotatably mounted on the coupling sleeve, means including a friction clutch adapted to connect said drive gear to the coupling sleeve, means traversing said gear actuated by longitudinal movement of the pinion to control the clutch, and means for independently taking the end thrusts of the gear and clutch.

2. In a variable speed transmission, a power shaft, a low speed pinion member slidably coupled for rotation therewith, a high speed gear rotatably mounted concentric with the pinion member, means including a friction clutch for rotating said gear from the power shaft, and means to control the clutch'inoluding a thrust member mounted on and longitudinally movable by the pinion member and serving as a bearing for the gear.

3. In a variable speed transmission, a power shaft, a low speed pinion member, a sleeveslidably coupling the power shaft andpinion, a thrust bushing slidably journalled on the sleeve, a high speed drive gear slidably journalled on the thrust bushing, means including a friction clutch for transmitting rotation from the power shaft to the gear, and means transmitting longitudinal movement of the pinion through the thrust bushing to control theclutch.

4. In a. variable speed transmission, a power shaft, a low speed pinion member, a sleeve slidably coupling the power shaft and pinion, a thrust bushing slidably journalled on the sleeve, a high speed helical drive gear slidably journalled on the thrust bushing, means including a friction clutch for transmitting rotation from the power shaft to the gear, means transmitting longitudinal movement of the pinion through the thrust bushing to control the clutch, and means for independently receiving the thrust of the clutch and of the gear.

5. In a variable speed transmission, a low speed pinion member, a helical drive gear rotatably mounted thereon, a driven shaft, a high speed helical driven gear fixed thereon meshing with the drive gear, a low speed driven gear loosely mounted on the driven shaft meshing with the drive pinion, an overrunning clutch connection between the low speed driven gear and its shaft, a friction clutch for connecting the drive gear to rotate with the pinion, means transmitting longitudinal movement of the pinion to control the clutch, means under the control of the operator for moving the pinion longitudinally to close the clutch, and thrust means receiving inde pendently the longitudinal forces of the clutch and of the driving gear.

6. In a variable speed transmission, a power shaft, a low speed gear train therefrom including a pinion member slidably coupled thereto, a high speed gear train including a gear rotatably mounted on the pinion member and a friction clutch, and means traversing the gear actuated by longitudinal movement of the pinion to control the clutch.

7. In a variable speed transmission, a power shaft, a low speed gear train therefrom including a pinion member slidably coupled thereto, a driven shaft, a driven gear and an overrunning v clutch connection therebetween, a. high speed gear train including a rotatably mounted drive gear, a driven gear fixed to the driven shaft, and a clutch for connecting the drive gear to the power shaft; and means traversing the drive gear operable by longitudinal movement of the pinion member to control the clutch.

8. In a variable speed transmission, a power shaft, a low speed gear train therefrom including a pinion member slidably coupled thereto, a high speed gear train including a gear rotatably mounted on the pinion member and a friction clutch, a thrust member traversing the drive gear operable by longitudinal movement of the pinion member to control the clutch. yielding means urging the thrust member in a direction to release the clutch, and a thrust bearing forming an abutment for the clutch.

9. In a variable speed transmission, a power shaft, a low speed drivingpim'on member, a coupling member slidably but non rotatably conmeeting the power shaft and pinion member, a thrust bushing journalled on the coupling member, a thrust washer in abutting relation with said bushing and pinion member,.a high speed driving gear slidably journalled on the thrust bushing, means including a barrel member fixed to the high speed driving gear, and a fixed thrust bearing cooperating therewith for taking up end thrust on said gear, clutch discs alternately splined to the coupling member and barrel and retained against longitudinal movement by said thrust bearing, a pressure disc slidably mounted on said coupling member and actuated by the thrust bushing to compress the clutch discs, and means under the control of the operator for sliding the pinion member in a direction to close the clutch.

10. In a variable speed transmission, a power shaft, a low speed pinion member, a sleeve slidably coupling the power shaft and pinion, a'high speed helical drive gear slidably journalled on the sleeve, means including a friction clutch for transmitting rotation from the power shaft to the gear, means transmitting longitudinal movement of the pinion through the sleeve to control the clutch, and means for independently receiving the thrust of the clutch and of the gear.

11. In a variable speed transmission, a power shaft, a low speed gear train therefrom including a pinion member, means for slidably coupling the pinion member to the power shaft, a high speed gear train including a gear rotatably mounted on the coupling means, and a friction clutch; means transmitting longitudinal movement of the pinion to control the clutch, and a thrust bearing for the gear forming an abutment 

